Voice mail box or ringing only in the US | Speak Out in other countries | Consumer forum

Hi, I am a Canadian working in the US and sometimes visiting back in Toronto. When I was leaving Canada earlier this year I realized I needed to keep my home number for future use and for the people that don't know my US number and keep on calling me so I ported it to Telus Mobile (and now probably going to port it to Speakout). Both of those carriers won't work in the US so all I can do is call my number from a US phone and check my messages every day or so.
So this line works for me as voicemail only and what I am losing promptness of response, because I only check messages once a day or less frequently.

I also have my Rogers Pay as you Go phone here with me. It is working here and I can see when people are calling my (other) number (and often who's calling) and of course I don't pick up since that would involve hefty roaming charge. However I can call back immediately from a US phone knowing who called and when.
But... I had to turn off (temporarily) the voicemail on that line; if I kept it every (unaccepted) call would end up in the mailbox, which would be fine and actually ideal for me, but would result in roaming charges.

So that line is working as a simple pager for me, just buzzing to me that's someone calling and buzzing a missed call alert periodically if I didn't hear that call. Complete with the number of the calling party.

So I have to keep both lines and have the arrangement far from the ideal. As I said earlier I would like to both see/hear whenever somebody is calling, and let the call ultimately go the voicemail. All in one line and one handset.

This question is of course for Canadian services experts and challenge-lovers. Quite a piuzzle.

I wonder if it is possible at all.

Hm, maybe getting myself a 2 sim card handset, rare as they are, could help somehow.

I will appreciate any thoughts here, please e-mail me if you can: kolteniuk@yandex.ru

Thank you